Chapter 4: Predator
- - - - -
"We can't stay here," said Tony, as Tim and Abby sat on the platform-under-construction, trying to regain their breath. "Come on; let's get back to the open part of the station. I don't want track officials to catch us, because then Gibbs will have to bail us out of jail. You know how he gets: that look of Why-am-I-doing-this-again?' Like he's not going to bail you out, but rather leave you there overnight?"
Tim stopped sucking in air and eyed Tony for a moment, then shook his head. "I'd ask, but I don't think I want to know."
Tony thought. "You probably don't…Well, it's back the way we came, I guess." He led them back toward the open platform.
- - - - -
They eased back onto the station platform, casually stepping back over the barricade, a minute or so apart. "My rule #57," said Tony. " 'Don't unnecessarily call attention to yourself.' " They stood near a trash basket, defensively hemming Abby in against the wall. Then Tony called Gibbs, who told them to stay put. Several people in Metro shirts and orange reflective vests along with Metro police entered the station and headed for the barricaded end of the platform. Abby started to whistle nonchalantly, but Tim and Tony shushed her. "That only works in the movies," said Tony.
Gibbs and Ziva took about 15 minutes to catch up to them. While allowing Abby to cling to him with a death grip, Gibbs said, "Something's got the Metro people stirred up like angry wasps. I heard one of them say a train operator reported seeing someone jump in front of a train at this station. That's why there are so many Metro workers here. They're looking for a body." He watched passengers start to fill up the platform, as trains had been halted in both directions. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"
Tim exhaled, and Tony only said, "It was probably a mirage."
"Boyers is still loose in here, Gibbs!" Abby interjected. "What are you going to do, Gibbs? You've gotta do something!
"First thing we're going to do," said Gibbs, "is get you back to NCIS. And not by Metro. We'll put you in Protection until Boyers is rounded up. Abbs—did he say anything threatening to you?"
"Well…"
"Implied or not?"
"Um…"
"Were there witnesses who saw him pursuing you?"
"Probably about 3,000, since it's rush hour. Did I stop to get names and phone numbers? No, Gibbs, I did not!" Abby snapped.
He waved her to silence. "I'm just trying to understand where we are. Abbs, when we do pick up Boyers, the DA is going to need something firm to charge him with—otherwise, he'll be let go, and will be madder at you than ever. Now, think. Is there anyone we can find who saw you in trouble?"
She lowered her head and thought. She had run past so many people, looking only ahead, looking only for an escape route…Click. "There was a man; a District cop. He was standing near the elevator."
"Which station?"
"This one. I've seen him there before. It must be like, his regular beat. Sometimes he's there with a K-9; sometimes not. Not today. Anyway, I think he saw me yank a slow-moving elderly couple into the elevator with me—"
"Abby!"
"I know; I know! I've already asked God's forgiveness. Anyway, that was right after Boyers saw me and called out to me. I totally freaked. I must have looked like it."
"Did Boyers approach you?"
"He tried! I got the elevator door closed in time, and I saw him run up the stairs. But after the couple got out, I took the elevator back down. Fooled him! Momentarily."
"Did you yank the old couple out of the car?" Tony asked, and accepted the head-slap from Gibbs.
"But the cop saw all of this?" Gibbs persisted.
"Some of it. I think," said Abby. "Do you think he'd charge me with unlawful steering of aged persons into an elevator car?"
Gibbs smirked and didn't answer for a moment. "Well…McGee, you take Abby back to NCIS in a cab. David, DiNozzo; you're with me. We'll find that cop and then—"
"Gibbs!" Abby protested. "You don't even know which cop it is! He may not even be standing there, still! You'll need me to point him out."
"I need you to stay safe," Gibbs corrected. Then seeing her stubborn look, he sighed. "Oh, come on, then. But stay with us, Abby."
"Stay with my favorite people?! Of course, Gibbs!" She danced a little, then cursed her shoes. "Um, you brought the truck? Do you have any spare women's shoes in there? Size—"
"Abby, let's go," Ziva laughed, taking her arm.
- - - - -
It wasn't the same cop. "Where is he?" Abby asked the other cop on duty, in disbelief. "The guy who's usually here?"
"Bigalow? He's off with the Metros," said the cop by the elevator. "There's, uh, a problem in the tunnel."
"We heard," said Gibbs.
"But nobody got hu—" Abby started to blurt, before Tim grabbed her arm and Tony put a hand over her mouth.
"No one got hurt?" Ziva asked, puzzledly. "How do you know that?"
Gibbs' attention was diverted by the cop. Ziva caught a warning look from Tony, and looked between Tim and Abby worriedly.
"They're going to call your cop to come out and make a statement for us as soon as he can," Gibbs reported back. "It may be a few moments. Might as well get comfortable."
Not an easy thing to do. There were no benches in this stretch of the platform, and the crowds were increasing. It was only about 10 minutes, though, before Abby's cop appeared. No body had been found in the tunnel, he said readily when asked; the authorities would be performing drug tests on the Metro car driver. "I thought I'd heard it all," Bigalow laughed, "but I'd never heard a driver say someone jumped in front of their train in a stretch of tunnel!"
"Did he give a description of the jumper?" asked Gibbs.
"Believed it was a man, tall, in a dark or black jacket," said Bigalow.
"Could be almost anyone," said Abby, trying not to look at the black NCIS jackets around her.
Under questioning, Bigalow acknowledged that he had seen Abby looking scared, and had noticed a man with what he thought was an unhealthy interest in her. He had seen her jump into the elevator, and had seen the man run up the stairs. Bigalow had been about to reach for his radio to call in when Abby had come back out of the elevator and had melted into the crowd.
Letting Bigalow get back to work, Gibbs said, "If Boyers has seen us, then he's long gone from here. DiNozzo, call in—"
"BOLO. On it, boss."
"McGee, as I said before, you get Abby back to NCIS in a taxi. I'll call Vance; a security detail will be in place for her shortly. Until then, you're it."
"Got it, boss."
"David, DiNozzo—let's do one last sweep of the station for Boyers before we head back."
- - - - -
Tim took Abby's arm as they moved through the crowd, knowing full well that Gibbs really would kill him if he and Abby became separated. Abby smiled a little at the touch, but he didn't seem to have her full attention.
"Still worried about Boyers?" Tim asked. "You shouldn't be. We'll pick him up shortly. Then this will be all over."
She wasn't even looking at him. "Do you believe in a sixth sense, Tim?"
"No. It's one of those things that sounds cool, but scientifically—"
"Because I think Boyers is still here. I can feel him."
"You're just worked up. You've had a nightmarish afternoon."
"No, Tim; I mean it! He's close by."
"Then all the more reason why we should get out of here." It was still a good walk to the nearest exit. Tim silently regretted not going up in the elevator that had been near the cop, but at the time he hadn't wanted to make Abby re-experience that ride. Moving through the crowds was like swimming against the current.
At least now a train was approaching the station. That would take away some of the crowd…but no, when the train came in, it was packed already. Precious few people got off at the station, and only a small number of passengers could squeeze into the vacated places. Those who weren't able to get on sighed and cursed. It would be a long commute.
The train pulled out, and another one was right behind it. Although this second train was just as full as the first one, again the crowd on the platform pushed to get on. Tim and Abby found themselves pulled away from their attempt to reach an exit, and instead drifting towards the crossroads where one could change for the yellow Metro line. "It's okay," Tim said to Abby. "We can just as easily reach an outside exit here."
"Abby…"
Abby shrieked and jumped. "Boyers!" He was only feet away.